Solid Wood Flooring Maintenance

It is essential that you try to maintain your floor to help extend the lifespan of it and to stop it from getting damaged. The majority of maintenance involves prevention but some of it involves trying to cure the floor as well. The following general information will prolong the life of your floor.

Scratches

Scratches can be made on the floor through a number of different ways. Dragging furniture, claws of your cat or dog, children’s toys, stiletto heels can all lead to damage occurring to your floor. To help prevent damage occurring putting a rug down in an area for the children to play maybe an idea, self adhesive castors should be applied to the bottom of furniture so that if dragged they do not scrape the floor, animals claws can be trimmed and stiletto’s removed at the front door!

Scratches can also occur if grit or dirt builds up over time. That is why it is important to regularly vacuum, sweep or dry mop your floor. Placing a mat at a doorway to wipe feet on is one method of stopping this grit or dirt getting into your house. In given time when the floor does scratch, scrape and build up a bit too much character, you can sand and reseal it. This will help give you the look of a brand new floor. With the opportunity to do this the same floor can be in your home for decades.

Cleaning

When cleaning your floor it is important not to use too much water. If water gets into the joints of your boards then it is likely to cause them to swell and buckle. If water is left standing on the surface of the board it is also likely to have a negative effect with the board likely to swell and leave you with a hump. Therefore it is essential that any spillages on a solid floor are cleared up quickly and when you are cleaning them try not to do so with too much water.

Sunlight

It is a known fact that wood will fade in colour when exposed to sunlight. While this maybe inevitable, the process can be slowed down. Blinds and curtains should be drawn where possible in spells of bright weather. If part of the room is exposed to the sunlight a mat or rug could be lay there to prevent part of the room being a different shade from the rest. If the whole room is exposed you may wish to put a mat down and move it about evenly to help stop the floor from fading as quick and to also help keep the whole floor the same colour. Although as a result you will have a paler floor all round.

Solid wood floors do require attention and maintenance however, by looking after your floor you will reap rewards and have a top quality floor in your house for years to come.